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Adam Gardnir lives and works on Kaurna Land, also known as Kaurna Meyunna Yerta, the traditional homeland of the Kaurna people, located in what is now the Adelaide Plains region of South Australia.
Adam Gardnir MBA
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Adam Gardnir is an Adelaide-based Creative Producer and Arts Administrator.
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Soffles Mapped
WHITE NIGHT MELBOURNE 2015
Precinct Producer
PRODUCER
Adam Gardnir is a Creative Producer and Arts Administrator based in Adelaide, South Australia. His work includes live performing arts, festivals, corporate activations, government celebrations, university programs and community events that yield long-lasting legacies. Adam has worked across the country in a comprehensive range of production roles and has contributed significantly to the cultural vibrancy of Australia.
In his most recent role as Special Events Manager for The University of Adelaide 150th Anniversary Celebrations, Adam managed a multi-million-dollar programming budget, partnering with some of Adelaide's key culture makers, including State Theatre Company South Australia for Julia, Patch Youth Theatre for Wonderverse, Adelaide Festival and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for Floods of Fire and Wirtu Yarlu for Kaurna Day.
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Kaurna Day
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE 2024
Special Events Manager
LEADER
Widely respected for his strategic governance, as Chair of Feast Festival, Adam demonstrated a unique ability to unite government, corporate and community bodies, to deliver a critical uplift in the organisation's cultural prominence and fiscal sustainability. His leadership style blends ambitious goal setting with brand development, revenue maximisation, risk mitigation and a deepening of corporate and donor engagement.
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Strategic Planning Session and Arts Minister's Backstage Visit
FEAST FESTIVAL 2013
Chair
DESIGNER
During the formative years of Adam's career, he ran an award-winning Set and Costume Design Studio in Melbourne. His company designed new productions for Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre, Malthouse, Belvoir, Griffin, Black Swan Theatre and several top-tier commercial producers, with many works touring nationally and internationally.
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The Bear / Angelique
VICTORIAN OPERA 2010
Production Designer
GAYBIES
At the height of Australia's marriage equality debate, Adam produced the verbatim theatre piece Gaybies, staged at Melbourne Theatre Company's Sumner Theatre. In this role Adam held the responsibility for the end-to-end delivery of the production including finance and risk mitigation, philanthropic funding, stakeholder management, marketing strategy, workplace safety, ticketing, acquittals and reporting for the sold-out season.
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Gaybies
MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL & MTC 2013
Producer
ALTITUDE THEATRE
During COVID-19, Adam secured federal, state and local funding to establish a Brisbane based musical theatre company which produced three sell-out seasons and two creative developments, employing over 100 artists and technicians during state lockdowns. The productions were the world's funniest musical The Producers, Australia's professional premiere of Once On This Island and OUT!, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ songwriters.
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The Producers, Once On This Island and OUT!
ALTITUDE THEATRE 2021
Executive Producer
WORLD EXPO DUBAI
In 2022, Adam was called to Dubai by Australian major events maestro David Atkins, Creative Director for World Expo. As Program Manager - Outdoor, Adam managed a sizeable international production team who liaised with numerous national governments, performance troupes and expo facilities in the delivery of two daily parades - the midday Parade of Nations and the 8pm Parade of Lanterns - culminating in over 300 high-security, large footprint events.
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Parade of Nations and Parade of Lanterns
DUBAI WORLD EXPO 2022
Program Manager - Outdoor
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
2023 saw Adam appointed as Special Events Manager for the University of Adelaide's 150th Anniversary Celebrations. Reporting to the 150th Steering Committee, chaired by Professor Jessica Gallagher Deputy Vice Chancellor (External Engagement), Adam held chief responsibility for conceiving innovative events and forging local partnerships through to financial planning, risk mitigation, supplier integration and student outcomes, all in compliance with university policies and protocols.
A standout moment of the 150th was the attendance by Hon. Julia Gillard AC at the closing performance of Julia, written by Joanna Murray-Smith and performed by Justine Clarke, co-presented with the State Theatre Company South Australia.
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Justine Clarke and Hon. Julia Gillard AC at Julia
STATE THEATRE COMPANY SOUTH AUSTRALIA and THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE 2024
Special Events Manager
COLLABORATION
Collaboration remains the central pillar of Adam's work across all scales and genres. His ability to invite artistic and administrative minds towards collective goals, and to then engage stakeholders and suppliers in the creative process, is second to none. Bringing people together is his daily inspiration, from the foundations of making new work to the inclusive sharing of culture in diverse communities.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Dramatic Arts
VICTORIAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS (VCA)
THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE 2004
Master of Business Administration
ADELAIDE BUSINESS SCHOOL
THE AUSTRALLIAN INSITITUTE OF BUSINESS 2018
PRODUCER ROLES
Special Events Manager
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE 2022 - 2024
Program Manager - Outdoor
WORLD EXPO DUBAI 2021 - 2022
Executive Producer
ALTITUDE THEATRE 2020 - 2021
Producer
QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE (QPAC) 2015 - 2020
Festival Producer
MELT FETIVAL, BRISBANE POWERHOUSE 2014 - 2015
Precinct Producer
WHITE NIGHT MEMLBOURNE 2011 - 2014
LEADERSHIP ROLES
Committee Member
SA PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE
50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECRIMINALISATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2025
Chair
FEAST FESTIVAL 2022 - 2024
FINANCE AND RISK SUB-COMMITTEE
Board Member
FESTIVAL CITY ADELAIDE
FESTIVALS AND MAJOR EVENTS ADVISORY BOARD 2022 - 2024
Grants Assessor
THEATRE BOARD
ARTS QUEENSLAND 2017 - 2021
Board Member
MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL MELBOURNE 2012 - 2015
Awards Panelist
GREEN ROOM AWADS MELBOURNE 2010 - 2015
DESIGN ROLES
Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare, Directed by Damien Ryan
QUEENSLAND THEATRE 2021
Set and Costume Design
The Neighbourhood
Devised Work, Directed by Todd MacDonald
LABOITE THEATRE 2020
Set and Costume Design
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Birdland
By Simon Stephens, Directed by Leticia Cáceres
MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY 2015
Costume Design
Into The Woods
By Stephen Sondheim, Directed by Stuart Maunder
VICTORIAN OPERA 2014
Set Design
Gypsy
By Authur Laurents, Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim, Directed by Gale Edwards
THE PRODUCTION COMPANY and ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 2013
Set Design
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Grace
By AC Grayling, Directed by Marion Potts
MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY 2012
Set and Costume Design
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Die Winteriesse
By Franz Schubert, Directed by Matt Lutton
MALTHOUSE THEATRE and BRISBANE FESTIVAL 2011
Set and Costume Design
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In 2024, Adam founded Executive Adelaide, a referral-based commercial property acquisition service for South Australian businesses in growth mode. The company guides business owners and directors to strategically acquire high-yielding properties that contribute efficiently to their operational revenue and long-term profitability. In this context, Adam holds a Land Agents License with site valuation accreditation.
www.executiveadelaide.com
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